Time Enterwined
by Bendyfish
Summary: A man plots to get hold of the rift manipulator to turn back time as he wants to prevent a murder in the past. Ianto/Jack; Owen/Tosh; Gwen
1. Chapter 1

Title: Time Intertwined

Author: Bendyfish

Summary: A man plots to get hold of the rift manipulator to turn back time as he wants to prevent a murder in the past. Ianto /Jack; Owen/Tosh; Gwen

Author's Note – the prologue is setting the scene, it has no TW characters but you need to understand this part of the story to understand why TW becomes a part of the story. Bare with me readers, there will be plenty of TW in later chapters.

Oh and Tosh and Owen are still alive, I refuse to acknowledge that Owen, Tosh or Ianto die, ever, they get hurt, threaten and harmed but their deaths are much much later in the Torchwood history according to me. They still continue to be a part of the awesome Torchwood team, separate from the government, outside the police, beyond the United Nations, the 21st century is when it all changes and they are ready, as the world needs them.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters I just borrow their characterisations for my story telling.

Prologue - 1985

With the many branches scratching her bare arms, the girl, panting heavily quickly looks behind and over her shoulder while running through the bush track. She is getting tired but the fear in her is what is keeping her going. "Keep going, keep going" she repeats as a mantra in her head.

"Come on Dad, I'll race you to the next bend" Marcus laughingly said to his dad knowing that his dad couldn't resist a challenge. Marcus stood high on his bike, peddling his legs and took off with his dad not too close behind, as they laughed and urged each other to get to the bend, a pretty girl in joggers, a tight pink T-shirt and black running shorts was running towards them so Marcus and his dad slowed down as the track was wide enough for them to race side by side but not enough room for the jogger as well. As she approached she held her hands up and waved them about. Marcus and his dad slowed down but they didn't stop. The girl pleaded with them to stop, saying something about a man who was chasing her with a knife, she told them to turn around and stay with her. Marcus's dad looks down the track which is now straight and couldn't see anyone, let alone anyone chasing this girl with a knife. Marcus's dad says sorry but they need to move on and that there is no one down the track and says that if she wants she can come in the direction they are going. The girl was about to go with the two cyclists but she knows the man with the knife is in that direction, and says no and that they shouldn't go that way, there's a deranged man with a knife. Marcus and his dad ride off, not really believing her.

Marcus and his dad continue on their way, never seeing the 'deranged man with the knife'.

After another 20 minutes of cycling Marcus and his dad decide to turn back to return home, all thoughts of the girl gone as they both loved these days of father and son bonding. As they approach the bend where they saw the girl Marcus notices a lone jogger shoe in the path, Marcus slows down and sees the bare leg sticking out of the bush beyond the track. Marcus calls out to his dad, they stop, get off their bikes and slowly push back the branches of the low lying tree to see the girl that told them to help her; her open eyes staring up to the sky, her throat slit, her hands cut as if she tried to defend herself and her pink tshirt was now stained with blood and with knife cuts. Marcus's dad said to Marcus she's dead, we need to call the police, lets get home now so we can call, Marcus's dad made a mental note where she was as he knew this track well.

Once they arrived home they rang the police and reported it. The police came out, Marcus's dad showed them where the dead girl was, but there was no body, no evidence, no blood, no nothing to say that there even was a girl at all. The police didn't believe him, thinking that the sun and exercise may have affected him.

Life goes on and the memory of the girl fades.

Chapter 1

25 years later -2010

"Rift alert" Tosh calls out over the comms "in the Radyr Woods bush lands, 3 miles from Cardiff"

"You're with me Ianto, lets check it out"

Ianto grabs Jack's coat and holds it out for Jack, this ritual practised so many times that it is fluid in motion.

As Jack and Ianto are racing to the site where the rift is occurring Tosh interrupts their banter about who could locate details faster, Ianto thru his archives or Jack thru his recollections, to tell them that the rift disappeared and she has gotten some strange readings, she's going to look into it, but nothing major, nothing for them to worry about, just letting them know. Jack and Ianto turn to each other and grinned, Tosh, their friend could ramble for hours and loved the technical side of things, she thought they were all so fascinating, that any reading were strange; anyway they thanked her and continued on their way to Radyr Woods.

Jack and Ianto investigated where the rift coordinates were but could see nothing after searching for a good half day as well as enjoying the sunshine. They even had time to laze on the grass verge sharing an apple. Ianto's head resting in Jack's lap as they chatted about their upcoming holiday to Venice passing the apple between them.

On their return they noticed some police cars parked near an entry point to the local bush track and slowed their speed down, no need to annoy the police if there was no reason to, the police didn't really care for them at the best of times. And anyway Jack didn't want this perfect afternoon spoilt with him having to explain to the local police that they are Torchwood and they were outside of the police, it always got their backs up, Jack chuckled.

"Hey Ianto, what say we send the guys home early tonight, I'm thinking we try some Italian tonight in readiness of our holiday" Jack says with a twinkle in his eye, as Ianto was checking the residual rift reading in the area.

"Why send the others home? That little Italian place near the Hub does a great group deal."

"Not what I was thinking."

"oh and what were you thinking?"Ianto answered suspiciously, although with Jack anything is possible, but he couldn't for the life of him think what Jack was thinking, what could Italian food have to do with sex.

"oh that's for me to know and you to find out" Jack smirked.

Ianto rolled his eyes but his curiosity was peaked, and he smiled despite his apprehension. Life and sex with Jack was always interesting, never boring.

"I'll give them a call"

Jack chuckled and Ianto wondered what he was in for tonight.

Marcus still lives in the family home, as his parents had passed away two years earlier, Marcus was married, now widowed for 4 years, in his chosen profession, he is relatively happy with his life. His family consists of 2 boys, 21 and 20 and a girl 19, the apple of his eye. Many times when she visits from university, she and her father (Marcus) like to cycle the bush track just like Marcus used to with his dad.

Marcus was resting in front of the TV watching the news when the screen shows a scene of the bush track that he is very familiar with. It is reporting that there was a girl found killed near this bush track, her throat was slashed and stabbed multiple times and had lots of defensive wounds to her hands. Marcus has flashes of the girl that he and his dad saw so many years ago that they encountered on that same bush track but there was no girl when they tried to show the police, it was weird, they couldn't convince the police that what they saw was real, not imagined but since there was no sign of a murder, no reports of a girl missing, it was dismissed by the police and Marcus and his dad forgot about it as time moved on, until now. As he tried to shake these visions from his head, the doorbell rings. Marcus opens the door to the police.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Time Intertwined

Author: Bendyfish

Story line: A man plots to get hold of the rift manipulator to turn back time as he wants to prevent a murder in the past. Ianto /Jack; Owen/Tosh; Gwen

Chapter 2

Police inform Marcus that they believe that his daughter was found killed in the bush near his house. And could he please accompany them to the morgue to identify the body. In a daze Marcus follows them to the morgue and is led into one of the viewing rooms, the body of the jogger is on the slab. The morgue attendant pulls back the white sheet to reveal Marcus's daughter, the apple of his eye, his little girl that would visit all the time as she missed her father whilst at uni, his little girl that could always make him smile when he felt sad about the loss of his wife in a tragic accident.

Marcus howled, crying out "Why, why ,why" and "No, no, no"

9am in the Hub and all are in, caffeine still coursing through their veins from the morning dose of 'Ianto brew', as they go about their business. Jack's mind wanders, after all signing reports is the most boring part of his job, thoughts of Ianto keep on interrupting his reading, thinking of Ianto and him in Venice, yes, that is the most romantic place, the ideal place to propose to Ianto, his hand instinctively went to his pocket, the ring that he picked up the other day in readiness of his proposal to Ianto in Venice, oh yes, it's the most romantic place and with the love of his life, it's the perfect place to 'pop' the question. He thought of all the ways he would do this, on a gondola, on the bridge of sighs, at the finest authentic Italian restaurant, he still was undecided but he would do it as long as he did't chicken out, there's always that possibility, his nerves were getting the best of him lately. Thinking of nerves Jack observed that Owen seemed nervous, not his usual self-assured arse and he is kept on looking up to where the girls were working, he hoped that Owen wasn't picking up with Gwen again.

"Meeting in 10 minutes guys" Jack calls out over the comms, figuring they were all needing another caffeine fix and for Jack a 'fix' of seeing Ianto, it had been two hours since he last saw him after all, he was having withdrawal symptoms, _oh you've got it bad Jack_, Jack thought to himself.

Several days later after the police shown him his murdered daughter, Marcus finds out from the police that a father and son cyclists found his daughter in the bush and it was also revealed that they saw her about 20 – 30 minutes before finding her dead body as she was telling them about a man who was after her with a knife and begged them to go with her in the other direction. Marcus got a chill listening to this, not only because it was his daughter but that the details were so similar….exactly the same!… to what occurred to him and his dad. Marcus asked what was his daughter wearing, recalling that the girl that he and his dad saw was wearing a tight pink t-shirt and black running shorts. The police sergeant said a pink t-shirt and black running shorts. No it couldn't be, how is this possible? Marcus thought, his mind racing, this can't be happening. "NO, this is not possible" Marcus screamed, "No, No, No, this is wrong, all wrong, how could this be right, she couldn't be wearing those clothes" Marcus became hysterical. The police sergeant looked at Marcus quizzically, why would he be so concerned about what his daughter was wearing. The sergeant called for a medic, but Marcus, screamed "No, let me explain!" Marcus tried to calm down so he could explain.

Marcus explained to Sergeant Craig what had occurred to him and his dad so many years ago and how there was no body found by the police when they lead them there, so it was dismissed as there was no body. The police constable Craig inquiringly shook his head and said that he didn't understand. Marcus shouted that this happened 25 years ago, with a girl about his daughter's age wearing a pink t-shirt and black running shorts.

Jack sat in his office looking down at his team with a smile on his handsome face, watching Gwen, Tosh, Owen and Ianto go about their work. Gwen was looking through police reports of some reported muggings in Cardiff, thinking that they were alien related; Owen was cutting into a body of their latest alien, the recorder capturing his words to be referenced later; Tosh was on her back under a computer improving some electronic gadget or other; and Ianto, his lovely Ianto was sitting at his computer logging in the latest artefact that the rift spat out. Jack's smile grew when he saw Ianto stop and stretch, his shoulders scrunch up, his arms flung out and raised up high, his head pulled back in a familiar way that reminded Jack so much of when Ianto would be so close to cumming and his head would fall back and he would scream Jack's name. Jack shook his head, now is not the time or the place, Jack admonished himself; the team knew of his and Ianto's relationship but whilst at work they were professional, keeping that side for when they were alone at home. Home being a lovely apartment they bought together to represent their bond together and commitment to each other. Jack remembers the day when they went out to buy furniture together, he was the happiest he had been in a long time, what with all that Torchwood bring them and heart ache they had endured over the past few years they both agreed they need some normality. So going shopping for furniture and buying groceries was an activity that they did rarely but enjoyed thoroughly, besides their love making which never got boring, never with Ianto. Jack shook his head again, 'enough!, real work to do' thought Jack.

The phone rang, Jack sighed and picked it up "Hello" he said

"Captain Harkness? Police Sergeant Craig here"

"Yes, do I know you?"

"No, but I've heard about your organisation and I think I may have something of interest to you"

"Oh, yes?"

Sergeant Craig explained about the girl found murdered in the bush, and about her father and what he said about seeing the _same_ girl 25 years ago, and how that girl disappeared, and how the father of the more recent murdered girl seemed sure it was the same girl.

"Send me the details and I'll look into it" Jack said, giving the sergeant his email, an email set up just for the police, wouldn't do to have the police having their real email details.

Marcus sat at home in his black suit, his tear stained face showing the strain of the last couple of days. Marcus thought about all the things he said to police sergeant Craig and how at first he seemed interested then he dismissed it like the police dismissed it 25 years ago, why didn't anyone believe him. As much as he didn't want to believe it himself he is sure that 25 years ago the girl that he and his dad saw that day was his daughter that wasn't even born at that time. But how could that be possible, he raked his brain, what would cause that to happen, police Sergeant Craig said something about an organisation Torch something or other but then he didn't mention them again. Why, could they know something? Marcus did a search on the computer, random words, …..time, Torch, time shift, oddities, strangeness…..the computer came up with an organisation 'Torchwood' that some nerds said that investigated aliens, strange events and other odd occurrences. Could they explain, could they understand, could they fix this? Marcus's mind raced with these thoughts. More research revealed that this 'Torchwood' was in Cardiff, that's a pretty big place, but there was a group of researchers/nerds that got together to discuss this 'Torchwood' group. Marcus found out when they meet next and arranged to go to the next meeting, which luckily was in 2 days time, in Cardiff.

The information from the Torchwood researchers/nerds group that Marcus obtained seemed strange but what happened was strange so he had to try, had to try to see if they could help him. He was convinced that they were able to reverse time, they had some sort of time shifter thingy that could fix these types of events. Could Torchwood help Marcus fix this, could Marcus go back 25 years and save the girl, save his daughter, he was so sure that the girl his dad and him saw the day was his daughter even though at that time he wasn't even a dad himself, even though she wasn't even born at that time.

Marcus settled himself in front of his computer and put together the information he had to formulate a plan.

Owen headed up to the tourist office looking for Ianto, yeah he could have spoken to him over the comms but this wasn't for the comms, he wanted to talk to him in person. Owen was a little nervous, an unusual event for him but we all change, Torchwood changes people.

Ianto, looking thru some catalogue on his lap top, leaning on the counter, turned as he heard the hidden door slide open to reveal Owen. "Hey Owen, heading out?, I didn't hear that there was a rift alert"

'Yeah, no,… no rift alert, just stretching my legs"

"Oh okay"

Owen stood there watching as Ianto began re-arranging the Cardiff tourist maps on top of the counter, Ianto sensed Owen's nervousness, thought well, that's strange, but strange is something you get used to at Torchwood. After several minutes, Ianto said "Oh Owen, did you want something?"

"Ah…um, yeah" Owen spoke hesitantly "it's just,.. it's Tosh's birthday next week, and I …..um, I thought that we could go out …." he stuttered, "all of us" he added quickly.

"Yeah, that's sounds good, Tosh would love that"

"Yeah that's the thing, do you know what restaurant she would like to go to, since you two are quite close"

"Yeah she is been admiring the new restaurant down the road, the Thai one, you know the one?

"Yeah, um…that's sounds good…..um… do you think that….um oh forget it" Owen flustered.

Ianto sensing that Owen trying to say something but for strange and crazy reason, is this Owen, has Owen been replaced by an alien, oh well with Torchwood anything is possible. "Owen, what is it?"

"No, forget it Ianto, stupid idea, stupid ….never gonna happen" Owen muttered.

"Owen, do you want to ask Tosh out?" Ianto asked as he slowly realised why Owen was acting not like himself.

"Yeah" Owen said slowly, "Do you think that she would go out to dinner with me?"

"Hell yeah, Owen, are you blind?"

"What?"

"She's liked you for …forever"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh, yeah!"

Owen walked back thru the hidden door with a slight spring to his step.

Ianto shook his head and smiled and went back to his laptop, looking at the possible places that Jack and he were going to visit on their holiday to Venice.

The comms crackled "Rift alert" Ianto quickly closed his laptop and raced down to the Hub.

The information although hard to find was there once Marcus was able to isolate this mysterious Captain, there appeared to be 5 people associated with Torchwood, this Captain, 2 men and 2 women. The photos were grainy but were always associated with strange events. The whereabouts of its base were harder to find but it seemed that it was somewhere near the Cardiff Millennium Centre. Marcus decided to go there and see if he could find more out, so without so much as letting anyone know he drive off in the direction of the Cardiff Millennium Centre.

Jack, Ianto, Gwen and Owen strode out across the Plas, heading towards the parked black SUV where it was left, when Owen parked it last, too lazy to park it in it's safest parking spot in the private car park. Jack was talking to Tosh thru the comms, Owen and Ianto were talking between themselves discussing Owen's eventual date with Tosh, Owen was going to take her out the day after her birthday as Gwen had planned for them all to go to the pub to celebrate Tosh's birthday with a few drinks, rift permitting. Gwen was on her mobile listening to Rhys's rant. As they approached the SUV Jack reached inside his jacket to retrieve the car keys, but Ianto pulled out the keys as he rounded to the drivers side.

"Oh no, Jack, I'm driving, the rift is close by so there's no need to scare the locals with your driving" Ianto said with a smile on his impossibly beautiful face. Since he and Jack had committed themselves exclusively he was happiest that he has ever been and he was more relaxed and his beauty shone through. Jack smirked and raised one eyebrow quizzically at his lover. The team, sans Tosh who was feeding them the information that they needed about the rift, got in the SUV, Ianto in the drivers seat, Jack in the front passenger seat and Owen and Gwen in the back, retracting the computers giving them the location of the current rift.

As the SUV drove off it was watched by Marcus who had sat in the Plas waiting for something that might be that of the elusive Torchwood. When he saw the SUV and Torchwood team, the captain sticking out like a sore thumb, it was quite hard not to notice the man, what with his old World War II coat flapping about as he walked with his 'team' to a large black SUV. Curiously the SUV also had TORCHWOOD etched on its roof, so much for being a secret organisation!

Marcus ran to his car that was parked nearby, noting with indifference that it had a parking ticket on it, and drove off in the same direction of the SUV. He watched from a distance as the SUV parked at a nearby alleyway and the 3 men and woman got out of the SUV and spread out two by two, the Captain and a tall handsome young man together and the woman with the other smaller man.

After some time Marcus watched astonishingly as the Captain and the young man had what appeared a man in overalls with a bag over its lopping head and they bundled it into the large boot of the SUV. They were shortly followed by the other two, arguing with each other as they climbed into the SUV. This time the Captain got in the drivers seat and drove off.

Marcus followed the SUV at quite a distance back to the Plas. The SUV disappeared into what Marcus supposed was an underground car park. So Marcus waited and watched, he needed to find where they actually where situated if he was to get inside and locate the time shifter.

Ianto with Owen's help got out the sedated Weevil and brought him?her? up to the cells, "Lets see if this one likes our Janet" Owen stated straight faced.

"Not likely, Janet hasn't liked any of the ones we've brought back, my bet is this is another one we have to return to the sewers" Ianto commented.

"So which pub have you organised for us to go to celebrate Tosh's birthday tomorrow, the usual local or the other pub with the karoke" Jack asked Gwen.

"Oh no Jack, no karoke, the last time we were there as lovely as yours and Ianto's voices are, no one needs to see you two singing love ballads to each other and then … well lets just say that I don't think the audience was expecting you to snog Ianto on the stage and to top it off you go for a grope ….whilst you were on the stage, I mean, no one knew where to look. So no, Jack it will be at the local with no karoke!"

Jack laughed loudly recalling when he and Ianto got a wee bit drunk at the local after celebrating capturing a large haul of weevils and had put them into safer environments away from the Cardiff citizens.

After putting the newly acquired weevil in the cell next to Janet the team cleaned themselves up and set to head home. Gwen rand Rhys to tell him that she would be ready to be collected in the Plas in 10 minutes. Tosh checked the rift for any rift activity that may occur overnight one last time as well as Jack carrying with him a remote rift alarm with him, they all set off home, exiting from the tourist information centre. Owen put out his arm in invitation for Tosh to hook her arm through his; she did so shyly, looking out of the corner of her eye to Ianto who smiled at his friend. Gwen hooked her arms between Jack and Ianto as they walked across the Plas to where Rhys was going to collect Tosh and Gwen.

Marcus tightly wrapped his jacket around him more to keep the cold out while he watched the Torchwood team exit out of a tourist information centre and walked towards the pub. Now was the time for him to try to gain entry into this place, he had to find this time shifter, if they had one, they had to, his daughter's life was banking on it. After an hour of searching Marcus couldn't find a way in or a way to break in, there were security cameras everywhere as well as the tightest defence into gaining entry into this torchwood place. So he would have to find another way, and he thought he wouldn't know what a time shifter thingy would look like or even how to work it, so his next part of his evolving plan would be to wait for one of the team to be on their own and then gain entry using that team member. Marcus didn't even think about the lives of others now, he was so focussed on only fixing this, getting his daughters life back. This was his only way.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Time Intertwined

Author: Bendyfish

Story line: A man plots to get hold of the rift manipulator to turn back time as he wants to prevent a murder in the past. Ianto /Jack; Owen/Tosh; Gwen

Chapter 3

Tosh's birthday and the team were heading to the local pub, the one without the karaoke. The rift was quiet so they decided to head there in the early afternoon. Tosh brought along the remote rift alarm, to alert them if the rift decided to spew something out although the predictions say the rift should be quiet for at least 2 days but working for Torchwood means that the team have to be ready for anything.

The rift wasn't the only thing that was quiet, Owen was unusually quiet, Ianto walked up to Owen.

"so you asked her?"

"Yeah, we going tomorrow, I've made a booking"

"So why so quiet?"

"Mate, I don't want to mess this up, my track record is not that good"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Tosh has seen you at your worst and she still likes you, go figure!" Ianto laughed and jogged up to Jack who was arm in arm with Gwen. Ianto didn't get jealous any more with Jack and Gwen, well not too jealous, Gwen had her Rhys, they were getting married and she was happy. Ianto slipped his hand into Jack's hand, Jack turned towards him and smiled his megawatt smile. After all this time that smile of Jack's still made Ianto melt, Ianto leaned his head to Jack's shoulder and closed his eyes momentarily in the gratefulness that was his life.

The pub was not so busy as it as it still quite early, people hadn't clocked off work as yet, but in about an hour the pub would probably fill with tired workers having a drink before heading home. The team picked a booth to fit them all; Rhys was expected to come in 45 minutes, while Jack went to get them all a drink, bringing back a giant cocktail for Tosh, with all the trimmings, thankfully it had a straw so she could extract the heady mixture. As Jack sat down next to Ianto he noticed that Ianto was distracted and was searching his pockets for something.

"What's you lost? …well other than your heart to me" Jack said with a smirk to Ianto.

"I got Tosh a small gift from us all and bloody hell, well I forgot it in my desk" Ianto sighed.

"Give it to her tomorrow"

"No, tomorrow is a special day and it's got nothing to do with me, you or Gwen"

"Huh?" Jack queried

"Tosh is on a date with Owen tomorrow" Ianto whispered "So today is with her friends, tomorrow is Owen's day, so I want to give it to her today, besides today is her birthday"

"Okay l will go with you" Jack said

"Jack! No, I am quite capable of going by myself, I'll be gone for 5 minutes, 10 minutes tops, if you come we won't be back for 30 minutes or more" Ianto admonished Jack, knowing that if Jack and he went back to the Hub then Jack would take advantage that they had the Hub to themselves whilst the guys were in the pub, "besides it's Tosh's birthday and not yours" Ianto winked at Jack.

"aww, you don't play fair" Jack quietly whined to Ianto

"If you play your cards right you might get to play and I'll let you cheat" Ianto smiled at Jack and left before Jack could say anything more.

In the shadows of the corner of the pub, Marcus watched this exchange, he had slipped into the pub when he realised that the torchwood team were going there. When he saw one of the team, what he thought was the youngest member of the torchwood team leave he decided to see where he was going, hopefully back to the headquarters. So he quietly slipped out of the pub, and followed the young man walk down to the pier to the tourist office.

Ianto quickly opened the tourist information door, and just finger locked it, he was only going to be a few minutes so he didn't want to waste time by locking and unlocking all the locks.

As Ianto opened the hidden door, the tourist office door burst open and Marcus with a wild look on his face pushed Ianto up against the wall and quietly said "Get me the time shifter" with a knife to Ianto's throat.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Time Intertwined

Author: Bendyfish

Story line: A man plots to get hold of the rift manipulator to turn back time as he wants to prevent a murder in the past. Ianto /Jack; Owen/Tosh; Gwen

Chapter 4

"What?...What?Time shifter?" Ianto said, as he tried to reach his comms, Marcus pushed his hand away, he had watched them long enough to know that they communicated with each other by a blue tooth device in their ears.

"Don't play stupid with me, I know all about Torchwood and how you mess around with time" Marcus sneered.

"Look man, I really don't know what you are talking about" Ianto needed to find a way to get away, he's dealt with aliens for gods sake, but this man seemed deranged and he was quite determined.

"We don't have time for this, just get me the time shifter, take me back 25 years and you can forget I was even here and you can go back to your boyfriend", Marcus stared at Ianto "Is it back here in the back room?"

"No" Ianto kept his cool, it won't do to rise to this guy's anger, he will just play it safe till he can get a chance to alert the others, or he can disarm him.

Marcus pushed Ianto into the opening of the where the hidden door was, with the knife providing the incentive to get Ianto to move.

Even though Marcus was momentarily stunned by what he saw when he entered the Hub it was not enough for Ianto to be able to disarm him. Marcus stared at the rift manipulator **as** he watched it vibrate and hum and pushed Ianto towards it. "That's gotta be it, take me back 25 years"

"huh, it doesn't work that way" Ianto spoke before thinking.

"It took my daughter and killed her twice" Marcus didn't care anymore, seeing the thing that he imagined caused his daughter to die twice and being so close to what could stop it pushed him over the edge. "I've read and learnt what you do, people are taken out of time, YOU will get me back" Marcus waved the knife around slashing Ianto's cheek. Ianto reached up to try to deflect the knife but Marcus quickly moved the knife away and in the scuffle the knife entered Ianto's right side, piercing the flesh and plunged several inches into Ianto's lung.

Ianto crumpled to the ground, with an ever widening red stain surrounding him. Marcus, shocked that he caused this, stopped, he had never intended to hurt anyone, but he needed to go back to 1985, help the girl so she doesn't die, so his daughter doesn't befall the same fate. "I'm sorry . I'm sorry but I got to go back, please, I'm sorry"

Marcus looked at the rift manipulator and saw the computers nearby and thought there must be something on there that could tell him how to operate this thing. "Which one of these computers operates the time shifter?" Marcus asked Ianto. Ianto while still conscious, the blood bubbling out of his mouth and losing blood fast from his chest wound murmured , " rift in space, time is…..time is…" and then Ianto lost consciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Time Intertwined

Author: Bendyfish

Story line: A man plots to get hold of the rift manipulator to turn back time as he wants to prevent a murder in the past. Ianto /Jack; Owen/Tosh

Chapter 5

Tosh finished the cocktail, large as it was she thought she would take all night, but Owen took pity on her and removed all the fruit and decorations off it to show that it was something she could manage. Tosh's heart skipped a beat when Owen hand accidently touched hers as he struggled with the pineapple wedge that was stuck and refusing to move. Owen felt a spark as their hands touched, he looked up at Tosh and smiled and looked into her eyes, she returned the look and sighed.

"What's taking him?" Jack whined "He should have been back already" 30 minutes had passed and Rhys was walking in the pub door.

"He must have forgotten where he put it," Gwen stated as she spotted her husband to be coming through the door and head for them.

"Ianto? Forget? I doubt it" Jack knew of Ianto's eidetic memory, he would never forget anything, Jack was getting a little worried. He pushed the blue tooth device and got no answer. "mmmm, I'm going to see what's keeping him" Jack left quickly not bothering to take his coat, before the others had a chance to say anything.

Marcus saw that there were some controls on the, what did the young man call it rift something, and looked to see if there was anything that he could understand, surely there were a years indicator or a dial to turn back time or something.

Ianto groaned as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Marcus bent down to Ianto, "Tell me how to work it, tell me, tell me now!" he yelled.

Jack jogged over to the tourist office as he knew that is Ianto's preferred way of entry. As he approached he noticed the door was ajar, that wasn't like Ianto, he thought, as he picked up speed. Jack entered the tourist office, his hand automatically reaching for his gun. The hidden doorway was opened and there was no sign of Ianto, definitely not like Ianto at all. Jack hit the blue tooth device at his ear "Owen get over here now! Something is not right" Jack said quickly and raced down into the Hub.

Marcus was leaning over Ianto as he screamed at him to tell him how to work the rift manipulator as Jack raced inside.

"Move away from him" Jack rushed over to Ianto, pushing Marcus out of the way. Marcus startled, yelled "I didn't mean to hurt him, I just need to get back"

Jack wasn't listening to Marcus, his only thoughts were of Ianto, laying unconscious, with a large pool of blood spreading under him. Marcus picked up his knife, that was dropped in his haste to get the rift to work for him and poked it in Jack's back to alert him to stand back. "tell me how to work it, I need to get back, I've got to save her" Marcus yelled hysterically .

Jack pushed back and the knife slid into his back piecing his heart. Jack slumped over Ianto as Owen, Gwen and Tosh entered the Hub, guns drawn.

"Stand down….now!" Owen yelled

Marcus looked around to see the other team members standing there with their guns drawn and approaching him quickly. Marcus slumped to the ground on his knees, "I just want to go back, it never meant to happen like this"

Owen seeing the pool of blood under Ianto with Jack slumped over Ianto raced over to them. Owen pushed Jack off Ianto, not giving Jack a second thought, he knew what ever had befallen Jack, that he would recover; as for Ianto, he doesn't have that advantage. Owen could see almost immediately what was causing the pool of blood, he quickly tore Ianto's shirt, knowing that Ianto would bemoan the loss of a good shirt , although with the knife hole in it even Ianto would have to agree that it wouldn't be a good shirt anymore, Owen silently prayed that Ianto would wake soon and complain about the torn shirt. Owen could see that the wound was deep and knew that he would have to stop the bleeding now. Owen called out to Tosh to get the alien device that they uncovered emitting a pulse in the ruins in a bombed out building only 3 weeks ago. He had done some experiments on minor cuts that fused the flesh together but the wound that Ianto had was more than a cut, and he suspected that Ianto's lung was pieced as well, as Ianto had blood dribbling from his mouth. As he contemplated whether to use Ianto as a guinea pig, Jack revived with a gasp.

As this was happening Gwen and Tosh rushed over to Marcus and pushed him down to the floor, face down. Gwen screamed "What have you done? Who are you?"

Tosh held her gun at Marcus, in a way that meant business, so Marcus didn't question whether the little Japanese woman would shoot him so he stayed down. Tosh heard Owen ask for the alien device that they suspected would rapidly heal wounds, it had worked on minor wounds but the wound that Ianto had seemed much more than a minor cut from the amount of blood pooling beneath him.

"Are you sure Owen?" Tosh asked tentatively.

"The wound is too deep, and he's losing too much blood, I don't have time to stitch him up he will bleed out before I can seal the lung" Owen desperately voiced his concern.

Jack sat up, remembering what occurred before he died, and reached around for Ianto. Relief washed over him when he saw Owen was there, but that relief faded away when he heard the conversation between Tosh and Owen. "Just do it Owen, do something!" Jack pleaded.

"Help me get him down to the autopsy bay"

Jack gently lifted his lover up in his arms and carefully walked down to the autopsy bay. Owen set the scanner to better see the extent of the injury as Tosh grabbed the alien device that she had on her table as she was the last to use it, to attempt to found out its power source.

Gwen had Marcus handcuffed and sitting up on the floor. "My friend had better survive this. Or you will have hell to pay" she said gruffly to Marcus.

"Don't care anymore, what's the point, I didn't help her, didn't save her" Marcus said sadly shaking his head, his eyes downcast. "I just wanted to go back, I would have made things right"

Owen saw from the scanner that it was as he suspected, Ianto's lung was pieced. And so Owen with some reluctance lifted the alien device, looked up at Jack, who nodded his head, held the device to Ianto's right side and pressed the green button. After 3 anxious minutes the flesh seemed to bubble and then start to reformulate. After another minute Ianto took a deep breath. Owen who was holding his own breath took a breath himself.

"He'll be fine Jack, just fine" Owen said with relief.

Then Ianto's eyes fluttered open, his brillant blue eyes made contact with Jack's own blue eyes and he frowned " I'm sorry I di…" Jack shushed him with a gentle kiss.

"Nothing to be sorry about" Jack reassured Ianto, "stay here, I'll be back" Jack gave Owen a look that said 'stay here with him, I'm gonna deal with that scum bag above'.

Marcus explained everything to Jack, what happened 25 years ago, the murder of his daughter 2 weeks ago and the hope to return back to 1985 to help the girl and therefore prevent the murder of his own daughter.

Gwen, Tosh and Jack listened very intently, it was very important that they understood why someone not known to them or Ianto would want to hurt Ianto. Jack nodded and shook his head through out and when Marcus finished telling them his story, Jack said "Marcus the rift doesn't do what you want, I'm sorry, we don't have that control, we only pick up the pieces that the rift spits out. I'm sorry but you'll won't be able to return to 1985, what's done is done, you won't be able to get your daughter back" although Jack was angry with him when he climbed the stairs from the autopsy bay and was determined to make him pay for almost killing Ianto, he could understand the urge to return to an earlier time to fix an event, but Jack knew only too well, that events such as these can't be changed as much as you may want them to.

Marcus started to sob, he would have placed his hands over his eyes but they were still handcuffed behind him so he could only hang his head and cry in his lap.

Gwen, Tosh and Jack walked away to give him a moment. Tosh went to get him a glass of water. Gwen whispered to Jack " What do we do with him? Hand him over to police or retcon him?"

Tosh returned with a glass of water as Jack said "Nothing, we do nothing, we will return him home, the grief will be enough punishment, putting him in prison won't help, retcon him? how far back do we retcon him, 25 years? We may as well put him in a mental ward."

That night Ianto and Jack lay side by side enjoying the fact that they were still here, living. "So Owen and Tosh?" Jack asked quizzically, "You knew, didn't you? Why didn't tell me, why am I the last to know" Jack jokily asked.

Epilogue

Two and half weeks later Jack and Ianto walked hand in hand along the footpath of Venice, the weather was prefect, the rift was behaving and Jack had a ring in his pocket.


End file.
